Crowd vs. community

You can get lost in a crowd; you should be found in a community.

If you want to know whether or not the group you’re a part of is actually a community, check and see how easy it is for someone to fade into the background.

If you’re rarely noticed or the only thing that matters about you is a data point (attendance, revenue, visits), then you’re in a crowd.

But if you’re known by your name, if people notice when you’re gone or not contributing, when other members listen to a story rather than calculate a number, congrats: you’re in a community.

Crowds obscure; communities discover.